3 Oilers with the most to prove in six-game homestand
By Edward Eng
We look at three key Oilers players who are facing the most pressure to prove their value during the six-game homestand, which begins on Wednesday night.
Things have certainly been getting better recently for the Edmonton Oilers ever since their 5-0 shutout win over the Washington Capitals, which halted a three-game losing streak. They have now followed this up with three straight wins over key opponents within their own conference, as the offence has started to kick into gear at just the right time.
This Could Be Perfect Timing For The Oilers
As if the timing wasn’t any more perfect, the Oilers can now build on their recent momentum with a six-game homestand, which begins on Wednesday night versus the Carolina Hurricanes. On the season the Oilers have a 5-4-1 winning record at home, as opposed to a more paltry 4-8-0 record on the road. So they must take full advantage of home ice, to further make up lost ground in their pursuit of the playoffs by the end of the season.
Stuart Skinner appears to be back to his steady form, but more importantly captain Connor McDavid seems to have rediscovered his dominant play, with a whopping 13 points in his past four games. In addition to both standouts, there have been many other contributors who have also picked up the pace recently.
If you add in the additional time off to repair any nagging injuries that may have come up in the early parts of the season, this is an optimal time for the team to make a move in the standings if they continue to play the way they have been of late.
However, at the same time, there have been a few players who have yet to prove their worth thus far this season for the Oilers, so it will be about time they break out during this homestand to show they can get the job done as well. As a result, we take a look at three key Oilers players who will need to come up big during this homestand, or else their respective spots on the roster could be in jeopardy in the near future.
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Calvin Pickard
Despite being called and promoted into NHL action recently as a result of Jack Campbell’s struggles, Calvin Pickard has had his own issues trying to maintain a regular gig in the NHL throughout his career. The 2010 second round pick did have one season in which he was the number one starting goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche in 2016-17 season, producing a 15-31-2 record, 2.98 GAA and .904 save percentage in 50 games.
Pickard followed that up with a successful stint with Team Canada at the 2017 World Hockey Championship, in which he backstopped the team to a silver medal finish. However, that has turned out to be the highest point of his career thus far, as he has bounced around between multiple teams both in the NHL and AHL ever since.
At age 31 and now currently with the prime opportunity to solidify a potential backup role with the Oilers, this is Pickard’s biggest chance to revitalize his career. His first two games with the team so far have produced some mixed results.
The Oilers will not want to run Skinner into the ground by forcing him to make 10 consecutive starts. (He has started the last four games for the team.) As a result, Pickard should get some game action during this six-game homestand. This might be his only chance to prove once again that he can still be a reliable NHL goalie.